Comments on: Insurance For All

By: Sid Schwab

Sid Schwab — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 03:49:01 +0000

So much misinformation, Seaspray, including but not limited to the fabricated 16,000 IRS agents. You need better sources.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_04/023160.php

As to “mandates:” http://knowyourgovernment.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/understanding-the-health-care-reform-mandate/

For the rest of the misinformation, you chose not to answer my request that you comment on my blog, and I don’t want to waste time of the bloggers and commenters here. You know how to reach me, if you’d like answers to your questions.

By: Pattie, RN

Pattie, RN — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 14:00:34 +0000

Yup—get another example of how working hard, delaying gratification, getting an education, choosing a viable career path, taking care of one’s health and limiting family size within a two-parent household are all “old school”. These steps used to be the path to a good life, knowing that illness and injury can hit anyone, anywhere, but these were still the rules to live by.

Now, those of us who chose those pathways are the fools who get to pay for everyone else’s rotten choices. And spare me the sob stories—for every real, unpreventable tragedy out there, there are 50 more that are the result of stupidity and/or laziness. And I challenge anyone who works in health care or social services to dispute that ratio of bad luck -vs-self imposed burdens.

By: WarmSocks

WarmSocks — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:15:42 +0000

I really don't see this healthcare bill making it expensive for employers to provide insurance for their employees. Just the opposite. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation's survey of employers, the average annual premium paid by employers to provide health insurance to single employees was $4,824 in 2009. Family coverage was an average of $13,375 per employee. Now it will cost less money and eliminate the administrative hassle if employers just drop all health insurance plans and pay the government fine.

By: M Student

M Student — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:13:32 +0000

“(”Dependents” up to age 26? We used to just call them freeloaders.)”

Freeloader? I call myself a medical student. Oh well, potatoes potatos, tomatoes tomatos.

By: SeaSpray

SeaSpray — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 06:56:38 +0000

The health care system had to be fixed ..but why did they have to throw the good out?

Why do they not address tort reform?

Why couldn’t they open up state borders?

Since when is it constitutional to mandate people purchase health ins or fine them if they don’t?

I also heard that if people don’t get insurance, if they then become sick ..then they can sign up for insurance. Maybe it’s worth it to pay the penalty for no insurance and then just sign up when/if something happens?

And are penalties one time or every year you’re not insured or don’t insure your employees?

And how does it help small businesses to force them to insure or be fined? My hairdresser was telling me that the owner (of 2 shops) has more than 50 people on the payroll. he does not provide insurance. they are wondering if he will insure them or opt to pay the 2,000.00 penalty ..per employee… a minimum of 100,000.00 in penalty? Seriously ..how is this good for small businesses? It seems the logical thing to do would be to reduce the staff ..let some people go to come under the 50.

Then 16,000.00 more IRS to follow up on these penalties, etc. ??

This all seems so WRONG!

Intrusive with a capital “I”!

America ..land of the free .. not any more.

How is this ultimately going to affect quality/availability of care, medical research, having state-of-the-art equipment as this bohemoth HC debacle becomes increasingly more of a financial burden?

And the way they did this ..with corruption ..buy offs. How does giving away billions of dollars in buy offs for things that have *nothing* to do with medicine go to helping the sick patients and our healthcare system? So that we will be paying for these things for generations?

Another friend was waiting to go into an appointment and she heard them having a financial meeting. She was past her appointment time and would have to leave for work and said she’d have to reschedule. The doctor came out, apologized and said that they were having a financial meeting about medical ins and they now have to pay 200.00 more per person and they will be getting a lower quality of ins.

And how will this financially stressed employer/employee climate affect new hires?

I also don’t understand how they could justify the cost of this bill when they worked with skewed numbers and they all knew it?

And perhaps most mind boggling of all ..how in the world could any rational, intelligent human being (Never mind that they are our political leaders we trusted to do what was right) sign their name to *anything* if they don’t KNOW what is in the contract/bill and/or the long term consequences of said bill. ?? Pelosi actually said they wouldn’t know what was in the bill until they passed it. REALLY?

Especially since it is 1/6 of our economy and will so profoundly effect our nation and her people.

The majority of people are opposed to this bill.

They did not listen. They did not care to find out the facts ..to rework through the problems in a bipartisan effort. Just wanted to pass it ..consequences be damned.

By: SeaSpray

SeaSpray — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:36:15 +0000

Where did they come up with that figure? And if they do that ..how do they expect ins companies will be able to provide the same quality of insurance?

We have good insurance and decent premiums. I don’t want to lose it or be forced to pay a fortune for it. It would be a hardship. And then increased taxes?

Please tell me ..why is this new bill good for my family? I have pre-existing conditions. So ..does this now mean I am going to be paying much higher prices for my same insurance.

I’m stunned. I have been following this from the beginning and yet I am in disbelief that we can now be harmed financially because of this debacle of a HC bill. My husband worked hard for his entire adult life. We chose a plan that has been excellent coverage for our family and now it could all be turned upside down. I know ..spread the wealth.

This is a financial disaster for our economy over the long term and quality of care will be compromised.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 04:36:26 +0000

Yeah, you could be wrong or right. But on this issue you’re fooling yourself if you think I’m wrong. When the costs start to hit, the “fix” ain’t going to be fixed no more. Your salary is cost cutting measure number one across the board.

I may not know much medicine, but this political issue has drawn out pretty much as I expected.

By: igloodoc

igloodoc — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 04:28:02 +0000

I think that part is in the reconciliation in the senate, ERP. I think medicare is boosted 10% in underserved areas and medicaid rises as it is tied to the medicare dollar, again in underserved areas.

I could be wrong. I could be Matt.

By: ERP

ERP — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:20:55 +0000

I see the HCR as the first step. Lots of issues need to be ironed out over the next decade or more. Clearly, we could not continue what we were doing.
Also, my understanding WC, is that the bill allows for Medicaid payments to Primary care MD’s (peds, fp and IM) to rise to Medicare rates. Not perfect but a start. That may help the newly “insured” get some access.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:19:20 +0000

That’s not how the news cycle works. What happens next is the Senate parliamentarian probably kills or strips most of the house amendments, but we have the health care bill that passed now more or less. Over the coming weeks the reality sinks in that health care is passed and other issues will dominate the 24-7 news, but the majority of Americans who wanted to do something about healthcare, even or maybe especially if it wasn’t this, know that the Obama administration passed the most paradigm changing legislation of the last several decades. The question now is whether he is one of the Roosevelt or is he a Lyndon Johnson (if the political system can even accept comparisons to the past).